He was in college, but his songs were at the Grammys.

Things escalated faster than anyone expected.

Two days later.

At 8 a.m. on Wednesday, a Weibo post quietly went live.

Posting account: Communist Youth League.

There was no announcement, no pre-launch hype, just an ordinary post with pictures and text.

But many people recognize the accompanying picture.

On the Jiangyi playground, the sun was shining brightly, and more than thirty children stood straight, their red scarves fluttering gently in the wind.

Chen Ming stood in front of them, a corner of his white shirt fluttering in the wind, as he turned to look at the children behind him.

The photo was taken at just the right moment.

It was exactly the moment the children sang the first line.

It was exactly the moment Chen Ming picked up the microphone and started speaking.

It was exactly the moment when the sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on everyone.

The accompanying text was only a few lines long:

#ChineseYouth#

"When the youth are wise, the nation is wise; when the youth are wealthy, the nation is wealthy; when the youth are strong, the nation is strong; when the youth are independent, the nation is independent."

Recently, a song titled "Ode to Young China," created by @ChenMing and performed with more than 30 children, has garnered widespread attention online.

On this day that Youth Day has just passed, Chen Ming uses a song to tell everyone.

What defines a Chinese youth?

What is a young China?

Thank you Chen Ming, thank you to the thirty-odd children, and thank you to all the shining young people of China.

The comment section exploded within thirty seconds.

[Holy crap??? The Communist Youth League!!!]

Chen Ming has been called out by the Communist Youth League!!!

I'm stunned, is this real?!

Before clicking in, I thought it was a marketing account...

The Communist Youth League has spoken out!!! Chen Ming is awesome!!!

[Wait, wait, look at the last sentence of the caption: "Thank you to all the young Chinese people who are shining brightly."]

[Waaaaaah, I'm crying!]

This phrase "Chinese youth" includes Chen Ming's contribution, and it also includes mine.

Yes, we are also Chinese youth!

Damn, I suddenly feel like I need to work harder too.

I've been listening to this song on repeat for three days, and today when the Communist Youth League shared it, I was completely overwhelmed.

A strong youth makes a strong nation; Chen Ming is a true practitioner of this saying.

[+1, he didn't just sing, he actually did it]

The number of bullet comments, reposts, and shares has grown exponentially.

Ten minutes later, #ChenMingYouthLeague# became the number one trending topic.

Fifteen minutes later, #ChineseYouth# rose to second place on the trending topics list.

Half an hour later, five of the top ten trending topics were related to Chen Ming.

Song He saw the Weibo post at 8:05.

He was eating breakfast when his phone vibrated, so he picked it up and glanced at it.

Then, the chopsticks fell onto the table.

"Old Song?" His wife poked her head out from the kitchen. "What's wrong?"

Song He didn't say anything, but simply turned his phone screen towards her.

His wife came over for a look and was also stunned.

"This..." She opened her mouth, "This is the Communist Youth League?"

Song He nodded.

"Did they specifically post a message praising Chen Ming?"

Song He nodded again.

My wife was silent for a few seconds, then clicked her tongue.

"You made the right bet this time."

Song He finally came to his senses, picked up his phone, and started sending messages to Anya.

At that moment, Chen Ming was sitting in the classroom.

The first class in the morning was College Chinese.

Professor Yang Peixue was lecturing on the prose of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and he was talking about Ouyang Xiu's "Record of the Drunken Pavilion".

Chen Ming lowered his head and took notes diligently.

My phone was on silent and lay quietly in my backpack.

He had no idea that the outside world had exploded.

Until the bell rang to signal the end of get out of class.

He packed his bag and was about to leave when he suddenly realized that the atmosphere around him was a bit off.

The students were all looking at him.

It wasn't the kind of sneaky looking, but open and honest looking, with eyes shining.

"Ming-ge," Tang Yuan leaned closer, his voice trembling, "Have you checked your phone?"

Chen Ming shook his head: "I was in class, I didn't look at it."

"Then look now." Zhou Xu handed over the phone. "Quick."

Chen Ming took the phone and glanced down at it.

The official Weibo account of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China.

The accompanying photo is from that afternoon.

The accompanying text consisted of those few lines.

He looked at it for a few seconds, then handed the phone back to Zhou Xu.

"Okay, I understand," he said.

Tang Yuan and Zhou Xu were both stunned.

"Oh?!" Tang Yuan's voice rose eight octaves. "That's it?! You just gave me an 'uh-huh'?!"

Chen Ming looked up at him, his eyes calm: "Then what should I say?"

Tang Yuan opened his mouth, but found he couldn't answer.

Zhou Xu chimed in quietly from the side, "Shouldn't you have said, 'Thank you for the organization's recognition, I will continue to work hard'?"

Chen Ming laughed: "That's what you should say. I've never stopped trying."

The internet is in an uproar.

It's being discussed everywhere – on Weibo, Douyin, Bilibili, and Zhihu.

Chen Ming's performance this time has been phenomenal.

[And have you noticed that the Communist Youth League not only praised the song, but also Chen Ming himself?]

Yes! "Thank you, Chen Ming"—those four words carry immense weight.

Something suddenly occurred to me...

What?

Do you remember when Chen Ming retaliated against Qiu Xuan?

【I remember! What's wrong?】

Look at the lyrics: "I dare to challenge heaven and earth, I will overcome all obstacles, and though the world laughs at me, I will remain strong."

【? ? ? ? 】

Immediately, netizens realized what was happening.

[Holy crap! When Chen Ming retaliated against Qiu Xuan, wasn't it all about "daring to test his mettle against heaven and earth"? So many people laughed at him for overestimating himself! Isn't that "the world laughs at me, but I will persevere"? Then, with one song, he completely crushed Qiu Xuan and Lin Peikun—isn't that "who can stop me from cutting through all obstacles?"]

I was stunned...

Did he live out the song first, and then write it?

No, that's just who he is; only someone who is this kind of person can write songs like this.

No wonder, no wonder, no wonder he could write lyrics like this at such a young age.

Because that's exactly who he is!!!

[And have you noticed how cultured Chen Ming's lyrics are?]

[Yes, yes, yes! I wanted to say that too!]

Sentences like "Throughout the ages, across the vast wilderness," and "The rising sun shines brightly," require considerable literary skill to write.

The crucial point is, he's only nineteen!

To write lyrics like this at nineteen, one's literary talent must be miles ahead of their peers.

Stop talking, I'm starting to question the meaning of life.

At this point, someone changed the subject.

They moved to other places.

[On the other hand, with Chen Ming on the show, can the other contestants really hold their own?]

[Hahaha, you've hit the nail on the head!]

[The contestants from the "Magic Art Peking Opera" competition: What did we do wrong to deserve competing against such monsters?]

I'm starting to feel sorry for the other players now.

[+1, with Chen Ming on the field, how can this competition even proceed?]

I want to see the expressions on the faces of the other players when they face Chen Ming, I want to see the live chat explode again, and I want to see Chen Ming continue to "dare to challenge the heavens and earth."

[The main competition of "China's Top Singers" will begin in one month.]

[Go Chen Ming!]

Go, young Chinese!

After the hustle and bustle, life always returns to calm.

The trending topics have subsided, the heated discussions have gradually subsided, and life has returned to its original track.

weekend.

Chen Ming's home outside of school.

This is the apartment that Brilliant Galaxy provided for Chen Ming after learning that he was moving out of the school.

It's a two-bedroom apartment, not very big, but it's quiet and not far from the school.

Considering that Chen Ming often needs to work on music.

The company also specially converted another bedroom into a music room for Chen Ming and added soundproofing for him.

There's a rattan chair and a few potted plants on the balcony, where you can bask in the sun all afternoon.

That evening, Chen Ming sat on the balcony, holding a newly printed document in his hand.

Schedule for the main competition of "China's Top Singers".

He turned to the first page and glanced at the key information:

Nationwide selection phase: May 10 – June 20

University Recommendation Channel: May 11 - May 25

Record company recommendation channel: ......

Special channel for individual players: ......

Main competition stage: The competition officially starts on July 1st.

Chen Ming's gaze lingered on the date for a few seconds.

July.

The main competition is in July.

Although the preliminary rounds of "Chinese Singer" started in May, the main competition was in July.

Because there are not only campus selections, but also internal selections from various companies, as well as special selection channels for individual candidates, a month is needed for a buffer period.

He let out a soft breath, placed the timetable on his lap, and leaned back in the wicker chair.

The sun is setting, and the sky is tinged with a gentle orange-red.

Children were playing downstairs, and their laughter could be faintly heard drifting up.

One month.

He has one month.

During this month, he can continue taking classes, unlocking new songs, and accumulating experience.

He will have a batch of works in hand when the main competition begins in July.

No matter what kind of opponent he faces, or what kind of competition format he encounters, he has enough reserves to deal with it.

The main focus is on abundance.

A month is enough.

Chen Ming suddenly laughed, laughing at his own previous "recklessness".

The decision to participate in "China's Top Singers" was a spur-of-the-moment idea that day.

The classmates started making a fuss, and Tang Yuan and Zhou Xu got excited. He thought to himself, "Okay, let's participate then."

Anyway, this show is very popular.

Looking back, the decision was actually somewhat hasty.

If the main competition of "Chinese Singer" is scheduled for June, or even May.

Then he will face a dilemma.

Should we skip class to record the show, or skip the show to attend class?

The former means missing out on those classic songs that are about to be unlocked.

The latter means missing out on the opportunity to compete on this national stage.

Either way, you'll lose out.

After all, as long as you have good songs, you will eventually reach the top. "Chinese Singer" just speeds up that process.

Fortunately, the main competition is in July.

Chen Ming leaned back in the rattan chair, watching the last rays of sunset slowly fade away on the horizon.

I secretly decided that from now on, I would only participate in any program without affecting my class time.

This is Anya's WeChat:

"Did you see the schedule? The main competition is in July, you have a month to prepare."

Chen Ming replied, "I saw it."

"Is there anything the company can help with? Recording studio, music arranger, backup dancers—just let me know."

Chen Ming thought for a moment and typed: "Not for now, I'll continue with my class."

Anya replied instantly: "Okay, remember what I promised you, no one is allowed to disturb you during class."

Chen Ming smiled and replied with a "Okay".

I put down my phone; night had completely enveloped the city.

The lights in the distance lit up one after another, like stars scattered on earth.

Chen Ming stood up, put away the timetable, and went back inside.

He turned on the desk lamp and opened the book for tomorrow's classes.

Lecture notes for "A History of Ancient Chinese Literature".

Professor Yang Peixue spoke slowly, but in great detail.

Those explanations about the rules of poetry and the structure of prose may seem unrelated to music, but Chen Ming believes that literature and music have always been interconnected.

Those who can write good lyrics may not understand music theory.

But those who can write good songs must understand literature.

He picked up his pen and wrote a line on the handout:

"When words are insufficient, one sighs; when sighs are insufficient, one sings."

He stared at the line of text for a few seconds, then smiled slightly.

The ancients already explained it clearly.

What cannot be expressed in words, sigh; what cannot be expressed in sighs, sing.

Songs are, in essence, an extension of emotions.

Emotions, on the other hand, need to be tempered, accumulated, and nurtured slowly through daily learning and life.

He closed his lecture notes and turned off the desk lamp.

Outside the window, the night was deep.

But he knew the sun would rise as usual tomorrow.

He will attend class as usual tomorrow.

A month later, when the lights come on for "China's Top Singers," and countless people stare at the screen waiting for his appearance, he will be standing there.

He stood on that stage, carrying all his accumulated knowledge, experience, and the classic works created by his predecessors.

Night was falling.

Chen Ming sat at his desk and opened the music library and notes app on his phone.

He stared at the screen, his brows slightly furrowed.

Songs like "A Person Like Me" (which was unlocked earlier) and "The Actor" (which he sang while deliberately fooling Anya) are included.

After this period of accumulation, there are quite a few songs. The style is not monotonous, but upon closer inspection, something is indeed missing.

What about rock and roll?

What about ethnic style?

What about traditional Chinese style? What about electronic style?

"China's Top Singers" will start in July, with 72 contestants from all over the country, representing all styles.

What if you run into a rock star and all you have are ballads? How are you going to fight back?

What if I encounter an academic singer specializing in folk singing? How will I respond?

It seems I can set aside some time to take courses related to these topics.

The problem is that he had already looked at the upcoming schedule, and the past week was full of basic courses such as literary history, music history, and composition theory.

Want to unlock the secrets of rock music? You'll need to take a rock-related course.

Want to unlock the secrets of ethnic culture? You'll need to take a class on ethnic music.

But some classes are not on his schedule.

What should I do?

Chen Ming muttered to himself, "Should I try auditing a class in another class?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ming nodded in self-answered mode: "Bang!!"

rub!

And rub it hard!

Jiang Yi's classmates from other classes were sweating profusely from rubbing against him!

What is the most valuable resource in a university?

You can walk into any classroom, sit down, and listen to the lecture without anyone kicking you out.

Chen Ming picked up his phone, opened WeChat, and found that familiar profile picture: the wall of the Jiangyi campus.

He typed:

"Qiangqiang, I'd like to ask which class will have a course related to folk music, rock music, or even traditional Chinese electronic music next week?"

send.

Then I put down my phone and continued reading the lecture notes.

Five minutes later, my phone vibrated.

It wasn't a private message reply, but a new post that popped up on my WeChat Moments.

[Jiangyi Campus Wall: Anonymous Submission]

"Qiangqiang, I'd like to ask, which class will have a course related to folk music, rock music, or even electronic music next week??"

(P.S.: Is this student trying to audit the class? They're working so hard!)